Smile for me
by nishiqueeno
Summary: Maki only ever had two expressions. Nico wanted her to smile. One-shot.


**I can't stop with the NicoMaki! Not gonna make it a sweet, sappy story this time…we need some angst too, don't we? Haha, enjoy.**

* * *

Maki only ever had two expressions.

Sometimes, she would glare at her twin-tailed senior, with those sharp violet eyes. It usually meant she was annoyed; Nico realised that she used that look on her than any other member in μ's.

Her second expression would be that usual deadpanned, unamused look–her most common one, no doubt. Maki carried it everywhere: in school, throughout practice, and probably at home, too. Who knows?

Not to get her wrong, no. Nico wasn't trying to say that Maki never smiled–though she hardly did, excluding performances–she just wanted to know what made the redhead so obliged to have such a flat look on her face all the time. Nico didn't always smile, and yet she would always put up a grin for the sake of others. After all, smiling is contagious. And yet…no matter how much Nico smiled around Maki, her mouth would never twitch. She would constantly brush off the older girl, telling her to stop bothering her. Nico found this so utterly _annoying_ ; she wanted to change the frown on Maki's face. At the moment, it was Nico's goal.

* * *

As soon as Eli announced that practice was over for the day, Maki left the rooftop. And Nico followed suite. The third year trailed the redhead down the corridor, occasionally pausing to act less suspicious. Why she was so content on trying to make Maki smile, Nico had no idea herself. The black haired senior pushed away the flutter in her chest and kept going.

By the time Nico exited the school building, Maki had already walked past the school gates, by the pedestrian crossing. The third year called out to her junior–quickening her pace while she was at it–though unsure whether the latter had heard. But how could she forget that Nishikino Maki was the daughter of two doctors: healthy with good eyesight and perfect hearing? Said student turned around at the mention of her name, and violet orbs met ruby ones. The traffic light turned red and cars stopped, yet Maki hardly flinched. She waited–why was she waiting?–for Nico, staring at her with her usual emotionless expression.

By the time Nico reached the school gates, the traffic light blinked green and cars started moving again. Maki still waited. "What do you want?" she asked when Nico reached her, panting.

"Let's…let's go home together, yeah? Nico!" The third year struck her pose and grinned, though her heart was thumping insanely inside her ribcage. This wasn't the plan, why was she walking home with Maki?

"I don't care." Maki shrugged. "H-Hey! Nico! What are you doing?"

Without waiting for either the redhead or the traffic light to signal it was safe to cross, Nico headed forward and started walking across the road. She turned back at the mention of her name and stuck out her tongue at her friend. "What, have you never done this before? Miss goody-two-shoes?"

"Urgh!" The first year screamed mentally at Nico, hesitantly walking up to Nico to prove her wrong. "Happy?"

The seventeen-year-old smirked. "Delighted."

No one had expected the car to come speeding around the curb. No one had expected the car to not stop for the two highschoolers. No one had expected Nico to shove Maki out of the way. _No one had expected her to get hit by the car._

The sleek, black vehicle slammed into Nico's small frame; the impact itself was enough to throw her five meters away [A/N: sorry, americans]. The car only stopped then, and Maki took the chance to scream, to run forward to Nico's body, to curse loudly at the driver. The redhead kneeled by her senior's form. Nico opened her eyes, barely conscious, black spots dancing in her vision. Maki was staring down at her.

 _Good_ , one part of her consciousness managed to think. _Maki-chan is safe. She's safe. I'm not safe, but she is. That's okay._

The black haired teen blinked weakly. She couldn't hear or see that well, but she was almost certain there were tears rolling down Maki's face. _Why is she crying?_ Nico wanted Maki to smile, to grin, to laugh. So why was she crying? Why was she screaming? Why did she look so utterly _sad_?

She tried moving her head and winced in pain. Her vision blurred; her head felt damp, and Nico assumed it was from the blood. Something warm grabbed on to her arm–Maki's hand, maybe? She was saying something, but Nico couldn't quite put it together. She couldn't move, or hear, or see. Fear churned inside of her, before finally, her mind went blank.

* * *

"…I-I don't know. I don't know how she wasn't knocked out after getting hit by the car. Heck, I don't even know how she got hit by the _goddamn car_!"

Maki's voice. She sounded so…so strained, it pained Nico. Why did it pain Nico? She forced her eyes open, but they remained glued shut. There was a beeping sound in the distance. She was in a hospital, wasn't she? Nico couldn't move; her arms remained still by her side, her voice stuck in her throat. She couldn't feel anything. Hearing was her only option.

"Miss, you were our only witness, apart from that idiot of a driver. You _need_ to tell us." It was a female voice that Nico didn't recognise. A nurse, maybe?

"I told you, I don't know!" came Maki's harsh reply. Nico would've flinched if she were able to. Maki only ever used this tone when she was very, _very_ annoyed. At this rate, how would Nico make her smile? "We were walking out of school. Boom, a car. Hands shoved me away–Nico, probably–then there was blood everywhere. Nico on the ground, still conscious, but badly injured. I screamed at the driver to call an ambulance while I kneeled by Nico. Her head was bleeding. Everything was bleeding. I couldn't stand it. Now she's here. That's what happened." Her voiced cracked. "Happy?"

Silence followed, then footsteps were heard. Someone left the room, Nico assumed. She felt something on her arm: it was warm and soft.

"When are you gonna wake up?" Nico heard Maki mumble beside her. Why was Maki beside her? She felt something else–hair–and was almost certain the redhead had put her head down beside her body. _I_ am _awake_ , Nico wanted to tell Maki. _I'm awake, so please stop sounding so worried._

Her arm was wet now. Was Maki crying? What had she done to make Maki cry? Distraught, Nico finally got her voice to work. "Don't…Don't cry…" she croaked, her voice weak. Her eyes gave in as well, eyelids lifting slowly.

Instantly, Maki shot up in surprise, and Nico could vaguely see the redhead's shocked face staring back at her. "You..! You're awake!"

Nico cracked a small smile. "Y-Yeah."

"I can't…I thought we lost you.." Maki looked down.

"Hey, look at me." Obediently, her violet eyes lifted, gazing at Nico. "See? But you didn't lose me! The amazing Nico Nii is alive!" One of her arms was fractured, but she lifted her good hand and struck her signature pose.

"Oh…about that," Maki mumbled, looking away again, "t-the doctor said the accident caused some pretty bad damage to your body, and on the chance that you did wake up, you may have to be bedridden.."

For a moment, a look of fear flashed over Nico's face. If what Maki said were to happen, every hope and dream Nico had of being an idol would be crushed, and µ's would have to be disbanded. And it would be all her fault.

"Why…" A hot tear rolled down the third year's cheek. "Why does it have to be my fault?!" She balled her fist, slamming it down on the bed. "Why do I _always_ ruin everything?!"

"Nico-chan, calm down!" Maki's vision blurred; she couldn't stand seeing Nico like this. Her chest felt tight, _strained_ , just watching her senior scream in the non-existent pain she was dealing with. The redhead threw herself onto Nico in her futile attempt to stop her from going overboard. Tears threatened to spill as Nico struggled under her, screaming for Maki to stop, to let go, to _get off_.

The black haired girl finally took a rest after almost an hour of distress and tears; Maki refused to leave the hospital, insisting on staying to take care of the now asleep Nico.

* * *

Months passed, and Nico never left the hospital. She knew the chances of her ever taking one step out of the building were slim; she didn't keep her hopes too high. Twice a week at most, she would have her moments. The times when she would scream and cry and yell. When she would hit and punch and slam. When she would wait and wait and wait for school to be over and for Maki to visit her again.

In the heat of the moment, Nico had forgotten her goal. _To make Maki smile._ In her current condition, it was near impossible. At this rate, all the redhead would do was frown. Even on the rare occasion where she _did_ put up a small, sad smile, it would be out of pity or sympathy. Nico didn't want that. Then again, what could she do?

A whole year had gone by since the accident, and Nico had given up all hope of even leaving the Nishikino General Hospital. She should have graduated by now–and yet, she never bothered the even pick up another textbook, knowing the outcome of her fate. How could she survive in this condition? No severe brain injuries, but fatal damage to her immune system.

After a while, the bedridden patient could _feel_ herself getting weaker as each day passed. Maki still came to visit her, and each time she came, Nico would have an unexplainable, uncomfortable feeling in her chest. It was getting annoying, really, and though she knew what it meant, she had a hard time accepting the truth.

"Why are you fidgeting so much?" Maki asked, frowning. There it was, for the umpteenth time that day. "Do you need to use the restroom?" Nico could hardly walk, now: Maki often helped her use the toilet.

"No, I-" Heat rose to Nico's cheeks at the thought of Maki seeing her using the bathroom. Why was she getting so worked up now? The redhead had done it plenty of times. Nico sighed. "Never mind."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Maki tilted her head. "If so, tell me now. Don't hide anything from me."

Nico didn't want to hide anything–especially from Maki. But was this really an ideal time to reveal something so big? "I think I've fallen in love with you."

She was answered by silence. The twin-tailed girl sighed. "Bad timing, I know. After all, I'm going to–"

"Don't!" the redhead cried. A hot tear escaped her eye. "Don't remind me."

Nico gave her friend a sad smile. "You'll have to accept the truth, eventually, y'know?"

"I-I know." Maki rubbed her eye, a scowl evident on her usually emotionless features. "But why didn't you tell me earlier? About…that…"

"Because I love you and I'm going to die." The answer came out flat right from Nico's mouth, emotion bubbling inside of her chest. "And if I'm going to die, then I can't see you anymore, Maki-chan! I-I don't want to die yet!" The black haired girl could no longer get out a single sentence without choking. Maki had long since looked away, unable to bear to sight of Nico so broken. For a while, they stayed like that, tears streaming down their cheeks,their minds being filled with dark thoughts.

"I think I love you too."

* * *

It came too soon. They said that she would have at least five months left, and yet the redhead was looking down at the motionless, unmoving body of who was once Yazawa Nico, the world's number one super idol. Face wet with tears, Maki pressed a soft kiss onto Nico's cheek. _Too soon_ , Maki thought. _I had only a week to love her._

The usually composed, calm Nishikino Maki was no more. She lay by her deceased friend–no, _lover_ –slamming a fist down beside her like Nico had done weeks ago. "Why did you have to leave me?!"

* * *

A life without Nico was like no life at all, Maki realised. It had been a week since she passed, and the girl with fiery hair was nothing but broken. Nico invaded her thoughts at every time of the day: when she awoke, when she was in class, when she was eating, when she was studying, when she fell asleep. Nightmares followed her each night about the event that happened only a week back.

Maki would visit the grave everyday. This time–a Monday–she noticed a yellow post-it note stuck onto the gray exterior of the tombstone. Nico's messy handwriting was prominent on it, though it looked like she tried to make it as neat as possible. Frowning, she pulled the note off and read it.

 _Maki-chan,_

 _I probably would be dead by the time you read this, right? Well, yeah. I have something I want to tell you._

 _You remember that time after school when I chased after you at the road? Of course you remember. I was when I got hit._

Maki cursed, tears welling in her eyes. She continued.

 _Yeah. It was because I wanted to tell you something._

 _I wanted you to smile, Maki. I only wanted that. And because of this I got hit by a car and fell in love with you and died loving you. But I'm happy. You aren't, though, and I don't think you've smiled for a long, long time._

 _So for me, will you please smile?_

 _Love,_

 _Nico Nii_

Tears staining her cheeks, Maki gave the first–and possibly last–smile she had in weeks.

* * *

 **Boom, I'm done. Hope I made you cry, haha. Leave a review please!**


End file.
